diff --git a/src/batch.rs b/src/batch.rs
index b1c908b..9979cfa 100644
--- a/src/batch.rs
+++ b/src/batch.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ fn gen_128_bits<R: RngCore + CryptoRng>(mut rng: R) -> [u64; 4] {
     bytes
 }
 
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 enum Inner {
     SpendAuth {
         vk_bytes: VerificationKeyBytes<SpendAuth>,
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ enum Inner {
 /// This struct exists to allow batch processing to be decoupled from the
 /// lifetime of the message. This is useful when using the batch verification API
 /// in an async context.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct Item {
     inner: Inner,
 }
@@ -90,6 +92,27 @@ impl<'msg, M: AsRef<[u8]>> From<(VerificationKeyBytes<Binding>, Signature<Bindin
     }
 }
 
+impl Item {
+    /// Perform non-batched verification of this `Item`.
+    ///
+    /// This is useful (in combination with `Item::clone`) for implementing fallback
+    /// logic when batch verification fails. In contrast to
+    /// [`VerificationKey::verify`](crate::VerificationKey::verify), which requires
+    /// borrowing the message data, the `Item` type is unlinked from the lifetime of
+    /// the message.
+    #[allow(non_snake_case)]
+    pub fn verify_single(self) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        match self.inner {
+            Inner::Binding { vk_bytes, sig, c } => VerificationKey::<Binding>::try_from(vk_bytes)
+                .and_then(|vk| vk.verify_prehashed(&sig, c)),
+            Inner::SpendAuth { vk_bytes, sig, c } => {
+                VerificationKey::<SpendAuth>::try_from(vk_bytes)
+                    .and_then(|vk| vk.verify_prehashed(&sig, c))
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Default)]
 /// A batch verification context.
 pub struct Verifier {
diff --git a/src/verification_key.rs b/src/verification_key.rs
index 6043c1d..1d898f9 100644
--- a/src/verification_key.rs
+++ b/src/verification_key.rs
@@ -136,9 +136,22 @@ impl<T: SigType> VerificationKey<T> {
     /// Verify a purported `signature` over `msg` made by this verification key.
     // This is similar to impl signature::Verifier but without boxed errors
     pub fn verify(&self, msg: &[u8], signature: &Signature<T>) -> Result<(), Error> {
-        #![allow(non_snake_case)]
         use crate::HStar;
+        let c = HStar::default()
+            .update(&signature.r_bytes[..])
+            .update(&self.bytes.bytes[..]) // XXX ugly
+            .update(msg)
+            .finalize();
+        self.verify_prehashed(signature, c)
+    }
 
+    /// Verify a purported `signature` with a prehashed challenge.
+    #[allow(non_snake_case)]
+    pub(crate) fn verify_prehashed(
+        &self,
+        signature: &Signature<T>,
+        c: Scalar,
+    ) -> Result<(), Error> {
         let r = {
             // XXX-jubjub: should not use CtOption here
             // XXX-jubjub: inconsistent ownership in from_bytes
@@ -160,12 +173,6 @@ impl<T: SigType> VerificationKey<T> {
             }
         };
 
-        let c = HStar::default()
-            .update(&signature.r_bytes[..])
-            .update(&self.bytes.bytes[..]) // XXX ugly
-            .update(msg)
-            .finalize();
-
         // XXX rewrite as normal double scalar mul
         // Verify check is h * ( - s * B + R  + c * A) == 0
         //                 h * ( s * B - c * A - R) == 0
diff --git a/tests/batch.rs b/tests/batch.rs
index 39b1a4c..2ead7e0 100644
--- a/tests/batch.rs
+++ b/tests/batch.rs
@@ -35,23 +35,65 @@ fn alternating_batch_verify() {
     let rng = thread_rng();
     let mut batch = batch::Verifier::new();
     for i in 0..32 {
-        match i % 2 {
+        let item: batch::Item = match i % 2 {
             0 => {
                 let sk = SigningKey::<SpendAuth>::new(rng);
                 let vk = VerificationKey::from(&sk);
                 let msg = b"BatchVerifyTest";
                 let sig = sk.sign(rng, &msg[..]);
-                batch.queue((vk.into(), sig, msg));
+                (vk.into(), sig, msg).into()
             }
             1 => {
                 let sk = SigningKey::<Binding>::new(rng);
                 let vk = VerificationKey::from(&sk);
                 let msg = b"BatchVerifyTest";
                 let sig = sk.sign(rng, &msg[..]);
-                batch.queue((vk.into(), sig, msg));
+                (vk.into(), sig, msg).into()
             }
-            _ => panic!(),
-        }
+            _ => unreachable!(),
+        };
+        batch.queue(item);
     }
     assert!(batch.verify(rng).is_ok());
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn bad_batch_verify() {
+    let rng = thread_rng();
+    let bad_index = 4; // must be even
+    let mut batch = batch::Verifier::new();
+    let mut items = Vec::new();
+    for i in 0..32 {
+        let item: batch::Item = match i % 2 {
+            0 => {
+                let sk = SigningKey::<SpendAuth>::new(rng);
+                let vk = VerificationKey::from(&sk);
+                let msg = b"BatchVerifyTest";
+                let sig = if i != bad_index {
+                    sk.sign(rng, &msg[..])
+                } else {
+                    sk.sign(rng, b"bad")
+                };
+                (vk.into(), sig, msg).into()
+            }
+            1 => {
+                let sk = SigningKey::<Binding>::new(rng);
+                let vk = VerificationKey::from(&sk);
+                let msg = b"BatchVerifyTest";
+                let sig = sk.sign(rng, &msg[..]);
+                (vk.into(), sig, msg).into()
+            }
+            _ => unreachable!(),
+        };
+        items.push(item.clone());
+        batch.queue(item);
+    }
+    assert!(batch.verify(rng).is_err());
+    for (i, item) in items.drain(..).enumerate() {
+        if i != bad_index {
+            assert!(item.verify_single().is_ok());
+        } else {
+            assert!(item.verify_single().is_err());
+        }
+    }
+}